April is all about Afghanistan as we read Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi. Linny read the book on her Kindle (show out), and thought it was an autobiography. But it’s not. It’s a novel! Nadia Hashimi interweaves real life people into the novel, such as President Daoud and his family and the coup that opens the novel did happen in 1978. It’s great historical fiction, though more recent history than many books. Linny was surprised at how Westernized Afghanistan was in the 1970s prior to the coup. Linny and Nancy were moved by how the author portrays Sitara’s pain of seeing her country disintegrate. Nancy notes there are other citizens facing this, such as those in Ukraine. Linny notes that this happens on a smaller scale with neighborhoods that deteriorate. Linny thought the depiction of childhood trauma was very realistically rendered – another reason she thought it was a true story! Linny and Nancy thought Sitara’s return to Afghanistan is an important part of her healing journey. Nancy recalls that she and Linny moved around a lot as children and how returning to well-known places can be revelatory and confirming that these places do exist, even if they have changed. Linny also thought the vast changes Sitara sees reinforces that she cannot return and could not have experienced the privileged life she had expected had she stayed. Nancy liked the initial boyfriend, Adam, until he shows how he wants to use his relationship with Sitara to enhance his run for city council. Nancy knew the reporter, Clay, was perfect for Sitara when she, for the first time ever, divulges her true past. Clay understands very well since he has spent years reporting about Afghanistan. Neither Linny or Nancy were fooled that Clay’s publicist was a love interest of his. Nancy liked that Nadia created a strained relationship between Antonia and Tilly because otherwise it would have been a jarring contrast of a “perfect” American family and also it showed how Antonia might not know how to be a great mom to Sitara. Linny liked that Antonia was a worldly, confident professional woman who took the job of being a parent seriously. Antonia aside, Sitara’s friends did not really know where she was from and had no idea of her background and this allowed her to continue to suppress her memories and not deal with the trauma she faced. Nancy thinks Sitara is unable to reclaim her childhood, but she does reclaim her sense of self. She thought Sitara’s chance meeting with her childhood crush, Rostrum, illustrated that her childhood dreams were gone forever and they had become totally different people. Linny thought Sitara’s finding her family’s remains gave her a resting place for her soul and bring some positive closure and healing. Linny got a little teary. Nancy asked her about her emotional response. Linny said it was Sitara’s hard life, the impact of trauma on children, and the difficulty children have healing from trauma. Antonia tried sending Sitara to a counselor but Sitara said it wasn’t helpful. Linny notes that for many, going to a counselor may be very hard work. Linny and Nancy discuss Sitara’s choice to become a doctor, fulfilling her father’s wish. Nancy was ambivalent about whether Sitara truly chose that path or was just following her father’s dream. On the other hand, Nancy noted that her father may have seen that Sitara was very bright and had a scientific way of viewing the world, thus seeing she was made for medicine. Linny agreed more with the latter: that Sitara’s father saw this bright light in her. Linny says she has experienced seeing that some little children are very bright. Linny says all the seeds that are planted in children will bloom, whether positive or negative. Nancy loved this book’s Prologue and she reads the first three paragraphs. Then she talks about how beautifully Nadia Hashimi sets up the rest of the story through the Prologue. Linny and Nancy discuss the symbolism of the ring. Linny liked Sitara had taken it because it helped remind her and ground her in her history. Nancy liked Sitara’s returning the ring to Afghanistan because she no longer needs the ring as a tangible reminder of who she is because she has now integrated her past into her life. Linny and Nancy disagree over whether Shair, the palace guard, actually murdered Sitara’s family. Linny thinks Shair did murder them and felt his inability to directly answer her demand that he admit to it shows he has not yet come to terms with his culpability. Nancy felt Shair did not murder his family but his ambiguous response shows that he was accepting responsibility because he was part of the coup and even though he didn’t pull the trigger that he was culpable.